When You Sit At Home...
'When You Sit At Home...' is the thirtieth episode of 'The Walk'. "Selkirk's the best place in the world." You arrive in Selkirk, and discover a town full of happy, healthy, and eerily helpful people. There are 19 landscape features to be scanned and two collectibles. One extra audio recording can be found in the landscape. The walking time for the shortest route is 81 minutes, and there are two divergent paths. Plot Summary Not Feeling Full of Beans The group are still walking in the rain, but Emma is feeling tired. Aaron brags about his encounter the previous night with Patagonia and hassles Emma and Paul about their relationship. The group then spots a town ahead... with working streetlights. Tremendously Normal Everything looks normal. People are out and about, the shops are open and people are hanging out in cafes. The group talks to a shop owner who doesn't seem to understand why any of this is weird. Aaron suggests getting some food as he's "starving", and the shop owner gives the group a large pile of food. Paul tells him you have no money to pay, and he assures you that that's no problem, as it's all for the greater good. Much Too Nice The group are weirded out by the shopkeeper's behaviour. Aaron then hits on a young lady. After complimenting her watch, he then tells her he really, really needs it, and she hands it over cheerfully, for the greater good. Fair And Square Paul tells Aaron to give the watch back but he won't. Aaron suggests it might be his charm. Paul says it's more likely to be malaria C but Charlie angrily points out that malaria C would make them lose control of their vocal chords. He tries to explain he was being sarcastic when Emma suggests asking the police to see what's going on. No One's Suspicious Emma talks about all the people that have been left behind on their travels. She'd like to stay in Selkirk a while. While walking, Charlie picks up an electro-magnetic field near your location. Paul and Aaron have found out that the leader of the town council is to thank for Selkirk's prosperity. The group go to meet her. A Very Persuasive Woman A local council member takes you all to meet Annie and gives you some background on her along the way. Annie moved to Selkirk a couple of months ago, and presented her findings on psychological research at a town council meeting. Everyone found it very convincing. She explained to them that it was best to serve the greater good. One of the council members resigned immediately in order to create a vacancy on the council, and Annie was elected uncontested. She explained that her tests showed that she could really improve community cohesiveness. Her tests included flashing lights, electro-magnetic fields, and putting people in a trance. Welcome to Selkirk! You arrive at Annie's place. She welcomes you all and invites you for a walk. Feeling Obedient? The group chats quietly, trying to ascertain if anyone's feeling any different. Annie explains that it requires a few adjustments to work together, and that everyone who comes to Selkirk decides they want to stay there. She suggests they'd like to stay too, but the group politely declines. Annie asks Aaron to look into her eyes, and then begins to slowly freak out. She recognises immediately that he is a friend of Charlie's and then asks if Charlie's put herself inside his head yet. She then grabs Aaron, saying that she can see her in there behind his eyes. She says that she's been Soleil and that they put Soleil inside her and she ate her up. She begs for help. She then warns you that Soleil will know that you've been here and that you have to leave immediately. She then asks Charlie if she doesn't recognise her own sister, Marianne. Don't Look Back Annie escorts you out of Selkirk and tells you the safe way to leave. Charlie talks to her via Walker's device. Annie says that people are trying to kill her and that they should run away. Paul asks if Charlie's sure Annie isn't her sister and Charlie says she looks nothing like her. Paul suggests she could have had plastic surgery, and Charlie replies that it would have had to have been a fairly substantial procedure. Annie says she wants to die. Charlie's talking to her upsets her, so Paul tries to talk. Annie tells them Soleil sent her here to spread her message. She did something to make her more able to understand more perfectly. Annie tells them they have to go, and that no matter what they must not allow the devices to fall into Soleil's hands. They must be destroyed first. Bonus Material * Poster: A poster for a local production of "Les Heureuses" by Victor Hugo: "Victor Hugo's classic work reimagined for a more community-focused outlook in which everyone pulls together!" * Torn poster: A torn poster for what seems to be a musical group called Plangent. The two figures in the poster have what appear to be cybernetic arms, the elbow of one of which is circled. * Bonus audio recording: A Radio New Tomorrow broadcast. This time, the subject is sex. The host (Priya) recommends avoiding having any more babies in a post-power world, as the world does not need any more people. As supplies of contraceptives are depleting, New Tomorrow are now offering a new service at their camps: a free vasectomy for any man who wants one. They will also keep a register of who has had the operation so that women can check it before deciding if they want to have sex, in order to prevent pregnancies. Landscape Features * Bike with pannier * Selkirk Bed & Breakfast * Grocer * Antique shop * Art shop * Patisserie * Craft supply shop * Book shop * Roosting buzzard * Milk float * Cherry tree * Crested newt * Electronic components * Carp * Ducklings * Abandoned bucket hat * Peacock * Rowboat Continuity Trivia *The bonus item of the poster for the community production Les Heureuses (The Fortunates) shows a thin young girl. This, combined with the title and the fact that the production is stated as being based on the classic work by Victor Hugo implies that it is a version of Hugo's famous novel Les Miserables (The Miserables). The original novel follows the lives and interactions of several characters, particularly the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption. The fact that the community poster describes it as "reimagined for a more community-focused outlook in which everyone pulls together", not to mention the more upbeat title, probably means that it has been altered to suit Selkirk's devotion to "the greater good". * The other bonus item is a torn poster for what appears to be a musical group called Plangent. This word means (in relation to the description of a sound): " loud, deep, and often sad". Spoilers for Episode 40 onwards * Charlie's angry reaction to Paul's suggestion that the citizens have malaria C foreshadows the revelation that the original Charlie was a malaria C sufferer. * Annie's ranting about Soleil putting herself inside her head provides a lot of background about the Soleil's avatars.